Most of the golfers in position to push leader Lauren Coughlin during the third round of the LPGA Aramco Championship fell off the pace Saturday.

Nelly Korda was one of the few who gained ground.

Coughlin remained atop the leaderboard at 7-under par following another tough day at Shadow Creek Golf Course. She shot 1-over 73 and owns a two-shot lead over Korda entering the final round.

Korda fired a 69 to sit at 5 under and will tee off with Coughlin at 1:05 p.m. Sunday in the final group.

Nanna Koerstz Madsen and Miyu Yamashita are both sitting at 3 under after each shot 71.

“I felt like I did a pretty good job today of at least getting in spots, and if I did get a little out (of position), making sure I walked away with no worse than bogey,” Coughlin said. “It’s going to be really hard (Sunday), so just going to see how goes.”

Shadow Creek flexed its muscles for the second straight day, leaving only five players under par for the tournament after 10 players started the round in red numbers.

Coughlin began the day with a five-shot lead and watched as several players faded from contention in the difficult conditions. She stuck her approach on No. 11 inside 5 feet for an easy birdie but made back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 13 and 14.

Coughlin then saved par on the tough 15th hole to stop the bleeding, and made birdie on the par-5 18th hole to pad her lead heading into the final round.

The 33-year-old from Charlottesville, Virginia, is looking for her first victory since 2024 and third overall.

“I definitely think it was huge in kind of just getting any kind of momentum going into the last few holes because it was so start-stop in the middle of that back nine,” Coughlin said of the par save on 15. “It was huge to make that putt. I kind of did the similar thing (Friday) and didn’t make the putt.”

Korda finished with four birdies and was bogey-free through 14 holes. She dropped a shot on the 15th hole when she tugged her approach shot left of the green and was unable to get up and down for par.

But the world No. 2 bounced back with birdies on Nos. 17 and 18 to make the final pairing for the third straight Sunday. Korda is looking for her second title of the season following runner-up finishes each of the past two weeks.

“I’m just playing really good golf,” Korda said. “I have always worked really, really hard, but I’m proud of the work that I’ve put in the past few weeks when I had off and didn’t go to Asia when the tour was there. I just feel refreshed, happy. I’m excited to compete.”

Koerstz Madsen had four birdies and three bogeys in her round. She went out in even-par 36, then made birdie on No. 11 and drained a long birdie putt on No. 14 to get to 4 under.

The 31-year-old from Denmark gave back a shot at 15 when her par putt burned the edge of the cup, and she couldn’t capitalize on the par-5 finishing hole, either.

“If I can just accept the couple mistakes I make and then hopefully make a lot of birdies and some good shots too, then I will see where I end up tomorrow,” Koerstz Madsen said.

Yamashita also has a share of third place after an up-and-down round that included four birdies. The 2025 Women’s British Open champion had three bogeys after making the turn but birdied the par-5 16th and 18th holes to remain in touching distance of the leader.

Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on X.

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